1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a slide-in structure, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a slide-in structure having a buffered self-alignment connector used in a cradle set for a handheld electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal digital assistant (PDA) is one of the most common portable entertainment tools to be carried around in our daily life. At first, the PDA was designed as a general-purpose electronic notebook for managing traveling schedules, recording events and logging communication. However, as computational speed of computers continues to increase, and networking and wireless communication continues to advance, the PDA is used for communication, network surfing, playing games or serving as a multimedia. Thus, a PDA is often regarded as a “palm-top computer”.
In general, each PDA has multi-functional connectors such as a power connector, an input/output (I/O) connector and an external card connector. Most power connectors are positioned at the bottom section of the PDA by design. To charge up the battery inside the PDA, one end (the female section) of the power connector within the PDA is inserted into a corresponding end (the male section) of a power connector within a cradle set. Similarly, most of the I/O connectors are positioned at the bottom section of the PDA by design. To transfer data between the PDA and a computer, one end (the female section) of the I/O connector within the PDA is inserted into a corresponding end (the male section) of an I/O connector within a cradle set connected to the computer. The connector in the cradle set is normally fixed on a circuit board with the circuit board fastened to a base plate using a set of screws.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional structure for fastening a connector 104 to a cradle set 100. To facilitate the insertion of a connector 20 (a female connector) at the bottom end of a PDA module 10 to the connector 104 (a male connector), the cradle set 100 is usually designed to enclose the connector 104. The cradle set 100 mainly comprises an insertion slot 102, the connector 104, a circuit board 106 and a base plate 108. The insertion slot 102 is designed to accommodate the bottom end of the PDA module 10. One end of the connector 104 protrudes in the insertion slot 102 so that the connector 104 can engage with the connector 20 at the bottom end of the PDA module 10 tightly. In addition, the circuit board 106 is firmly attached to the base plate 108. Note that when the PDA module 10 is inserted into the insertion slot 102, the backside 12 of the PDA module 10 may rest on the interior sidewall of the insertion slot 102 at a slant angle. Moreover, the connector 104 is fixed onto the circuit board 106 perpendicularly so that the connector 104 protrudes in the insertion slot 102 at the same slant angle.
Since the connector 104 is firmly attached to the cradle set 100 through a series of fastening structures (including the circuit board 106, the base plate 108 and a screw 110), the connector 104 scarcely has a positional tolerance in mating with the connector 20 of the PDA module 10. That is, if the PDA module 10 is inserted into the cradle set 100 at a condition that the connector 20 is not precisely aligned with the connector 104, a bending force is exerted to the connector 104. The bending force can cause the bonding section between the connector 104 in the cradle set 100 and the circuit board 106 to be broken after repeated misaligned mating between the connector 20 of the PDA module 10 and the connector 104 in the cradle set 100. Thereafter, an improper connection between the connector 20 of the PDA module 10 and the connector 104 of the cradle set 100 may occur. In addition, the fastening structure of the connector 104 also has very little capacity to buffer any shock or vibration. If the connector 104 is subjected to an external vibrating force, the bond joining the connector 104 and the circuit board 106 together may separate leading a drop in the reliability of connection.